A group under the banner of Concerned Citizens Against Corruption on Tuesday staged a protest at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, demanding the prosecution of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
The group, led by its Convener, Comrade Kabir Matazu, called for an immediate investigation into the NNPCL’s financial activities over the past five years, particularly during Kyari’s tenure. The protesters expressed concern that despite President Bola Tinubu’s dismissal of Kyari and the NNPCL board on April 2, 2025, no visible steps have been taken to probe alleged corruption within the company.
“The sack of the erstwhile corrupt leadership of the NNPCL drew applause from Nigerians, especially from groups like ours, which have consistently demanded accountability and transparency in the running of public institutions,” Matazu said.
He accused Kyari of running the national oil company in an opaque manner that benefited “friends and associates,” rather than serving national interest.
“This corrupt handling of the place was so suffocating to the national economy that Nigerians were taking to the streets to demand Kyari’s removal,” he added. “While Mr. President has taken the bold step of removing him, we are disenchanted that no investigation has followed.”
Among the issues raised was the controversial rehabilitation of government-owned refineries, where the group claims billions of dollars were spent without clarity or transparency.
“In addition to the billions the Kyari-led administration claimed to have spent on the refineries, he also claimed that Matrix Energy Limited—one of his fronts—invested $400 million in the Port Harcourt Refinery, even though the Federal Executive Council had already approved $1.5 billion for the same repairs,” Matazu stated.
The group further alleged that NNPCL is currently indebted to Matrix Energy to the tune of over $2 billion, with the debt reportedly being serviced through daily allocations of 80,000 barrels of crude oil.
“What we are talking about here is a daily allocation of crude oil to a non-state actor running a security outfit. Because of the deals he [Kyari] entered, Nigerians are being shortchanged even after his removal,” Matazu said.
The group posed several questions to the federal government, including: “Why and how is the Federal Government, through the NNPCL, owing Matrix Oil $2 billion? Why is this debt being paid with crude oil? Who negotiated this deal and why are Nigerians being kept in the dark?”
Calling for urgent action, Matazu urged the Minister of Justice to launch a judicial review of all agreements entered into by NNPCL during Kyari’s tenure.
“This investigation should find out how much the Federal Government has lost and make recommendations on how to recover the funds,” he said. “We also demand the immediate establishment of a commission of inquiry into the handling of refinery repairs under the Kyari-led NNPCL.”
The group vowed to continue advocating for transparency and accountability, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know the full extent of alleged corrupt practices within the country’s key institutions.